The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-11-24
Sacred also to the Memory of
captain FREDERICK CHARLES WHITE,
Lost at Sea
"in the Year iSS}.
"A Brave Seaman, Loving Father and
Faithful Friend"

This grave was all that Fred had.
He took loyal pride in keeping the
marble spotless, the mound green.
Every Sunday during the spring and
| summer he placed a wreath of fresh
flowers there, and only yesterday he
had laid the years last offering on the
| fading grass-a cross of bright au-
! tumn berries.
But graveyard in the Sabbath sun
light is one thing. At twelve o'clock
on wintry Halloween it is altogether
another.
! Fred was conscious of a queer,
creepy feeling, that winged his foot
steps, aud he was flying past the IA
miliar spot, when, almost involuntar-
lily, he glanced up, and for one awful
moment every drop of his blood seemed
to turn into ice-for there, standing
over his mothers grave, with the wan
moonlight falling upon his barred head,
was form the boy recognized at q
| glance.
| 1t was he who for wears had lain
| fathoms deep, as every one believed,
| beneath the far Paciiic's wave.
With wild shrek, Fred fell sense
less before his fathers ghost.
And here, no doubt, properlv-con-
structed Halloween story should end;
| but fancy score of sensible young
readers asking:
And was it ghost sure enough?"
And though it does spoil my climax,
| most frankly answer:
mo, it wasn't; not bit of it,"
No ghost ever clasped a frightened
| boy in such strong arms, held him
close to such fast-beating heart,
kissed him with such warm, firm lips.
| No ghost ever had the clear. CHEEKY
voice that greeted Fred's returning
! consciousness.
Have they made a coward of you,
! my boy? What set you keeling over
| like that?"
And last, but not least, no ghost in
the widest of Halloween legends ever
revisited the "glimpses of the moon"
with pockets containing bank-notes
enough TO keep regiment of Fred's
in Jackets of the latest cut for decade
of Years.
1t would be impossible to describe
the sensation that Fred created when
he reappeared at the Ray farmhouse
"a little shaken and unsteady, still
holding his fathers hand.
Even Harry was content to sink into
| insigniticance. and sit silent in the COR
| ner, listening breathlessly to CAPTAIN
Whites story of his wreck and escape
of the two years he had spent among
| the savages on a Pacific island. where
! no white man ever came-of his final
| rescue by Dutch trader and slow pas
| sage home.
Il had no idea of finding Fred here, -
he continued. THE teacher of the
school where | left him told me that
he had shipped as cabin-boy with my
old friend Bremen. who | heard was
trading out in the China Seas. And !
| intended to start out by the next
steamer to find them, when, as | was
passing near here, Il fancy seized me to
look again upon my poor wife's grave.
| had only an hour to stop, when luck,
or something better, led my boy out
| into the midnight to my very arms.
And here you'll stay, won't you young
ster?" concluded the captain, placing
his hand on his sons shoulder. I'm
not leave you again, if | can help it.
until see you rugged aud launched for
your own voyage on life's sea.
That was a very lucky forfeit OF
mine, said Fred, with a happy laugh.
I'D almost forgotten; but here it is,
Harry"
! And amid the general cheers aud